Traction device



April 15, 1958 s. SAMARAS TRACTION DEVICE Filed Nov. 19, 1954 \k9 5o\SQCEA re: ,50 I BY INVENTOR. S MAQAS United States Patent TRACTIONDEVICE Socrates Samaras, Amesbury, Mass.

Application November 19, 1954, Serial No. 470,100

1 Claim. (Cl. 301-44) This invention relates to improvements in tractiondevices for attachment to vehicle wheels.

The primary object of the invention is to provide more practical andefficient traction devices which are capable of being quickly and easilyapplied to vehicle wheels, and which can be made in rugged andserviceable forms at relatively low cost.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, specific forms ofthe invention are set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an outboard side view of a traction wheel according to thepresent invention, shown applied to a vehicle wheel;

Figure 2 is an edge view, partly in section, of the traction wheel ofFigure 1, a portion of an associated vehicle wheel being shown inphantom lines;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary outboard side view of a modified form of theinvention;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on line 5-5 ofFigure 4; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a conventional vehicle wheel 9 isshown having a hub 9 through which mounting bolts 10 project in aconventional manner. The form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 3,and generally designated 12, comprises a disk 14 having a concentricannular flange 16 extending about the perimeter 13 of the disk 14 andhaving formed therein equally circumferentially spaced concaveindentations 18, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. The disk14 is indented to provide a hub portion 17 provided with a centralopening 20, and with holes 22 to receive the bolts 10, the hub portion17 being arranged to register with and engage the hub portion 9' of thevehicle wheel 9. The indented hub portion 17 produces outboard spacingof the disk 14 from the vehicle wheel 9. Riveted or otherwise secured tothe disk 14 and extending outwardly therefrom around the hub portion 17are resilient clips 24 by means of which a conventional vehicle wheelhub cap (not shown) can be removably connected to the disk 14 incovering relation to the bolts 10.

Extending centrally through each peripheral indentation 18 is a radialhole 26, receiving a bolt 28 which also 2,830,847. Fatented Apr. 15,1958 traverses the center of an arcuate cleat 30, whose convex side fitsand is held in the related identation 18. The cleats 30 are curvedthroughout their length and have end portions 32 which reach beyond theends of the indentations and define spring fingers. Bolted or otherwisesecured, as at 34, to the outer or concave sides of the spring fingers32 are triangular cross section, groundengaging traction blocks 36.

In the modified form of the invention, shown in Figures 4 to 6, a disk38 has an inboardly offset hub portion 39 provided with wheel boltreceiving holes 42 whereby the traction wheel 12a is secured to avehicle wheel. The perimeter of the disk 38 is provided with an annularoutboard flange 44, and struck from the disk 38 and extending inboardlytherefrom are radial rows of eyes 46 in which are received shanks 48 ofspring traction fingers 50 which extend outwardly beyond the peripheryof the disk 38. Sockets 52, struck from the disk 38, receive the innerends of the spring finges 50, and each spring finger is provided with anotch 53 for the reception of a lug 54 carried by the socket 52, bymeans of which the finger is held in position on the disk.

A guard disk 56 has a central portion 57 bolted, as at 58, to theinboard side of the disk 38 to keep the fingers 50 from contacting thetire of an associated vehicle wheel.

While in the foregoing there have been shown and described preferredembodiments of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changesin details of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas claimed hereinafter.

What is claimed is:

A traction wheel for application to a vehicle wheel comprising a dischaving outboard and inboard sides, a. concentric annular flange securedto the outboard side of the disc, a central portion of said disc beingformed to provide a hub portion for securement to a vehicle Wheel hub,said annular flange having a radially outward side, and resilient groundengaging traction finger means spaced around and fixedly mounted on saiddisc and having portions projecting outwardly beyond the outboard sideof the annular flange, said traction finger means comprising radiallyoutwardly extending spring fingers having radially inward ends andradially outward ground engaging ends, and means securing the radiallyinward ends of the spring fingers to the inboard side of the disc, and aguard disc mounted centrally and concentrically on the inboard side ofthe traction Wheel disc, said guard disc having a radially outwardportion spaced from the inboard side of the disc, said spring fingersbeing positioned between said traction wheel disc and said radiallyoutward portion of the guard disc.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,404,767 Henry Ian. 31, 1922 1,549,004 Kading Aug. 11, 1925 2,249,138Hill July 15, 1941 2,267,588 Eksergian et al. Dec. 23, 1941 2,311,475Schmeiser Feb. 16, 1943 2,437,325 Koeppel Mar. 9, 1948

